Mohawk, you are right,you can never be over-gunned. About 10 yrs. ago I center punched a hog with a .270 and 130 Partition. Driving sleet, almost dark and off it went into 6800 acres of Tx. brush. Finally caught up with it,off it went again and I hit it in the rear this time. As I approached it whirled and tried to crawl toward me, this time a .45 ended it. I know, initial lousy shooting but with sleet stinging my face it was the best I could do. By the way, this was a "massive" 115# sow! So I obtained a used Ruger 77 .458 and it has been my hog rifle ever since, even with a good shot the bigger boars will run but with a 400 grain Speer in them not as far into that heavy brush. And the big boars hardly ever leave a blood trail so I say hit them hard. Last year a friend shot a bull elk thru the shoulder with a 7mag., bang-flop. About a month later he shot a decent boar (about 175-200#) on my place with my 8mm Rem. mag. and it ran about 50 yds. after a 185 gr. Core-Lokt destroyed it's heart. Only slivers of the bullet exited, again with no blood trail. This was his first hog, to say he was surprised would be an understatement! And no, I never try the head shot, friends have found teeth on the ground; it's just not for me. Kix.